Design and development of a controller unit for PCBA automatic loading module

Automation is always more present and needed in industry, especially in PCB assembly (PCBA) manufacturing plants where big volumes are handled. The role of automation is the reduce handling time by substituting humans in repetitive operations that brings no added value. SPEA is a world leader company in the production of tester machines for electronics boards (PCB) and semiconductors; now want to expand its business in the automation field. The first product of the line is the ALM100 family that is composed by loader/unloader machines. In PCBA, boards are typically stores inside special magazines appositely designed for the purpose. The job of the loader is to feed a production line or a machine with fresh boards from the magazine. At the end of the line or after the machine, there is the unloader that collects the boards inside the magazine. SPEA's ALM100 family products differs from the competition because of the innovative solutions adopted. Among these, the slim pusher that occupies virtually no extra space and requires no compressed air, or the division of the magazine in area that permits to separate the boards inside the magazine based on their outcome after the test. This solution will save precious floor space which is crucial in PCBA. This thesis is about the design and development of these machines, especially in the process of code development for the on-board PLC, which is the brain of the machine. The PLC has been programmed using the IEC 61131-3 Structured Text language and PLCOpen libraries have been used for motion control. Particular attention was paid to the definition of guidelines and rules in order to have a cleaner code and a more agile development and debugging.